Main Shop construction

     The Main Shop area of my detached garage was only a partially finished space when I purchased the property.  This is the way it looked before I started working on it.  These are pictures of each corner, taken in a clockwise order and starting with the northwest corner:

     The finishing work was begun in December of 2011, and completed the following January.  I began by putting up sheets of 1/2" OSB on the walls.  I chose OSB because it's easy to work with, it has superior sound dispersion properties, and I can mount small fixtures directly to the wall without using anchors, or having to find a stud.


     Before finishing the walls, I had to install two doors; one leading to the storage shed area, and one leading to the stairs to the loft.  Here is the installation of the door to the storage shed:


     The next job to do was to remove all the insulation and light fixtures hanging from the rafters.  When I bought the property, all of the roofing needed to be replaced.  I did the main house right away, but had to wait a few years to get the detached garage done.  The old insulation had gotten wet numerous times, and was in a sorry state, so I decided to replace it.  The old lighting arrangement was designed around rows of shelves that the previous owner had built and subsequently removed.  Fourteen separate incandescent fixtures, switched by individual pull strings, wasn't a very efficient lighting arrangement, so I removed all the fixtures and their attendant wiring, and rewired for six fluorescent lighting fixtures controlled by one wall switch.


     When it came time to install the new insulation and OSB ceiling, I elected to get professional help.  My contractor was the same man who had built the original detached garage, and made numerous additions to both the main house and garage, so it was familiar territory for him.


     I decided to paint the room with white single-coat stainblock primer, for several reasons.  I wanted to lighten up the room for better visibility, but I didn't want the walls so nicely finished that I'd worry about dings; after all, this is a work shop.  I also knew that, despite claims to the contrary, single-coat stainblock wouldn't completely hide the guidelines printed on the OSB... and that's just how I wanted it.  I want to be able to see right where my studs are, rather than having to use a stud finder or search for nail heads to determine a location for a strong anchor point.  I painted the ceiling first, so that I could install the fluorescent fixtures and get them working as soon as possible.


     Here are four photos of the finished room, again starting with the northwest corner and working clockwise.  I chose to keep the trim pieces bare wood; I like that look, and it matches the worbenches and shelves to come.  The horizontal studs on the walls in the fourth photo are the initial support pieces for the L-shaped attached workbench.




     I built the attached workbench in November of 2012.  I based the design around two 2x8 benches, nested into the corner, so I had a working surface of 2x10 along the west wall, and 2x8 along the north wall.  This workbench is now a very secure structural part of the building, and therefore very sturdy.  I also installed dedicated fluorescent fixtures for the workbench.  I suspect that the original owner envisioned something like this all along, because the required plugs and switch were already in place.  Eventually I will build a freestanding 3x8 bench, and a shelving unit for large items.  I can also bring in the two workbenches from the wood shop if I need them.


     So now I have an excellent working space for aircraft construction.  Further additions will include heaters for each side of the building, exhaust fan units that can be installed under the garage door in the main shop, portable paint booth framing, and a large centrally located air compressor, with air plumbing running out to each room.  I've already had to add some circuits to the breaker panel, and may have to add one or two more.  I'll have to be careful not to exceed the capacity of my existing wiring.  The RV-8 kit doesn't require welding, but if I decide to learn arc welding I'll probably just get a dedicated generator for it.  That would be cheaper than having to upgrade wiring and install a new panel, and also be much more versatile.